Laid Back Speakers amps, players etc

Laid back generally means a warm resonant bass (typical of small ported designs with underdamped response and big "hump" in the bass) often combined with a "scooped" midrange (scooped midrange means the power response, which is combined on axis and off axis, dips from 1 Khz to 5 Khz.)

These type speakers are extremely popular and have been best sellers since the 80's - although they can make it difficult to hear dialog on movies they make music sound rich, warm with the impression of a listening position a bit further back in the audience.

When you listen to speakers like this you feel like humming along to the music - very relaxing.

Shadorne thanks for your answer. I can see your point.

So is this supposed to be a good thing, a bad thing or is it a matter of personal preference?

From what you say I understand that the ultra hi-end equipment should not be laid back....

Can someone give some examples of laid back components?

From what I understand I would consider laid back amps the Lamm, speakers like the Verity, and cd players with tubes. But is this really what laid back is all about?

Regards,

Michael

I also use that term to describe a sound with less tendency to "bloom" along with the dynamic transients. It certainly doesn't mean reduced dynamics, just more stability.

The antonyms could be "forward" or "aggresive". A "laid back" soundstage would extend behind the line of the speakers. A "forward" soundstage places some imaging in front of the line of the speakers. "Aggressive" can be like jumping out at you and slapping you in the forehead.

The most "laid back" amp I've found so far is the Plinius SA100, which is very capable but doesn't try to impress. The tube amps I've tried tend be a bit more forward. The most aggressive amp I've had was the mosfet-based Mission 777, from the early 80's, which was a lot of fun in a masochistic kind of way. Never left any bruises though.

Often, just adjusting the toe-in of the speakers will have a dramatic effect on the perception of depth of the soundstage and imaging.